


Beautiful Classroom Chaos

by jinchabinu



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Elementary School, Everyone has guardians, Fluff, M/M, Matchmaking, Slow Burn, Think teddy bear size fairies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-10 15:49:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15294843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinchabinu/pseuds/jinchabinu
Summary: While Dongmin is perfectly content with his lack of social life outside of his classroom, everyone around him seems to want to change that.Throw in a charming new dance teacher, a 2nd grade class full of matchmakers, 4 especially nosy 'guardians', and a complicated ex-relationship into the mix and you get Dongmin's new chaotic (beautiful) life.What's the worst that can happen?





	1. First Official Day

Dongmin’s life is a routine, but he’s okay with it. He has always been a firm believer that there is no need to mess with something that seems to be working out just fine.   
  


It’s a typical Monday morning and Dongmin’s alarm goes off at exactly 6 AM with its usual bird chirping sound. The first bits of sunlight shine through his sheer curtains, reinforcing his alarm and making him face away from the windows to protect himself from the light. He reaches towards the alarm to shut it off and just like that, his sleep is completely interrupted and he is now wide awake. Like usual, Dongmin gets up and heads towards the bathroom to get ready before waking up the kids. After a few minutes have passed, he heads on over to the the kids’ room—initially meant to be a small office. Since the kids don’t take up much space and their apartment is a bit small, they had decided to make that into their room instead.   
  


When Dongmin opens their room, he sees them sleeping soundly even though the sunlight is shining directly onto their faces. If it weren’t for him, Dongmin doesn’t know how any of them would ever make it to school on time. Even though they all went to bed early the night before, he can tell that both of them will not appreciate being woken up right now. And although he feels bad about waking them up, this sympathy only lasts for about half a second. If he doesn’t wake them up at this moment, they will not have enough time to get ready and eat comfortably. So, he proceeds to poke them a few times until they start stirring and leaves to make them their breakfast.   
  


Since it’s the beginning of the week and he knows that none of them are feeling particularly energetic, Dongmin makes sure to make them an extra delicious breakfast to get them ready for the day. In other words, he just has to bribe them enough to make sure that the kids leave their grumpiness at home. The last thing he needs is a classroom full of grumpy children.   
  


As he finishes making strawberry pancakes and freshly-squeezed orange juice, the kids float their way into the kitchen. They may be no bigger than the size of a teddy bear, but they sure have a large appetite in those tiny bodies. Luckily this morning they don't eat as much as they normally would, as they can barely keep their eyes open. As Dongmin eats, he makes sure that he doesn’t spill any food onto his light blue long sleeve. As an elementary school teacher with an art period, Dongmin has had to say goodbye to quite a few shirts, so the last thing he needs is for any more of his clothes to be ruined. He has also never been too keen on constantly going to the shopping mall for clothes. He prefers taking one large clothes shopping trip at the beginning of the school year and hopes that those clothes last him for a whole year if possible.   
  


Once done with breakfast, Myungjun and Jinwoo wash the dishes—which is quite the sight to see sometimes since they are practically the size of the plate—while Dongmin prepares and packs some sandwiches for their lunch later in the day. Once they have everything ready to go, they leave their apartment and head for Dongmin’s car. Since the elementary school is about a 15 minute drive from Dongmin’s place, they are in no hurry to leave.   
  


While driving to the school, Dongmin always has to be extra careful to not only avoid hitting any students but also any little guardians that decide to ignore traffic signs and float across the street. Although he did plenty of research on them, most of Dongmin’s knowledge about guardians is due to his own experience dealing with the situations they constantly force him into.   
  


Dongmin looks at the back seat through his rear-view mirror and remembers why he never refers to Myungjun and Jinwoo as his guardians, even though that _is_ technically their official role. It just feels weird for Dongmin to think that these small beings, that have to work as a team in order to wash a plate, could possibly protect Dongmin. Most of the time he has to help _them_ and make sure that Myungjun doesn’t rope Jinwoo into too much mischief. And whenever they get themselves into trouble, Dongmin is always the one that has to apologize and smile his way out of those snarky comments made by the victims of Myungjun’s new “never seen before” ideas.   
  
  
The worst part is that they are not only small, but they are really young as well. Both of them can’t be any older than elementary school students, and Dongmin is constantly reminded of this fact whenever he overhears these so-called revolutionary plans that they always come up with—well more like Myungjun since whatever goes on inside that tiny head of his is a mystery for everyone. Because they're so small and remind Dongmin of cute teddy bears with their chubby little cheeks and stubby hands and feet, he can never call them guardians and instead opts to refer to them as ‘kids’ and sometimes calls them by their nicknames—MJ and JinJin.   
  


When Dongmin was a young 10 year-old boy, he was extremely excited to find out which two tiny guardians would be assigned to him. Now that he’s 24 years old, Dongmin can’t believe that he has actually been with them for over 14 years. Although he won’t easily admit it, especially not to Myungjun who is constantly looking for leverage on him, these past years have been more interesting than little Dongmin had initially anticipated.   
  


Dongmin recalls how on his 9th birthday, his parents gave him a calendar that would help him count down to his next birthday. For as long as he could remember, his parents would tell him bedtime stories about their own adventures with their guardians and how much excitement they brought them as they were growing up. He could clearly see that his parents adored their own guardians and that they adored his parents back. Once Dongmin’s guardians were assigned to him, their family grew considerably in size. And later with the addition of his younger brother’s guardians, their house had a total of 4 humans and 8 guardians! With time, his parents’ guardians had learned how to calm down, but Dongmin’s and his brother’s guardians were just beginning to get the hang of things and cause chaos.   
  


Even before meeting Myungjun and Jinwoo, Dongmin was fascinated with the fact that these guardians even existed. When he found out that they used to be actual human children in their previous life, he asked his mom if they would be able to remember who they used to be. His younger self was really sad when he found out that the guardians would forever be the age in which they passed away and that they couldn’t remember anything of their past life. In reality, this ended up becoming a blessing, because they were innocent children whose lives were cut short, and it wouldn’t do them any good to remember how they passed away. As guardians, their role is to provide their human with advice, protection, and happiness that could only be found in innocent and oblivious children.   
  


In Dongmin’s case, Myungjun and Jinwoo came to him as late elementary-school age. Although they could not remember anything about their previous lives, both of them somehow knew what their names and preferred nicknames were. At first Dongmin was a bit wary about whether they would get along, especially with Myungjun, since they seemed to be a lot more outgoing than he was.   
  


Growing up, he had always been a shy kid who preferred peace and quiet, so he was initially worried that both of them would somehow mess this up. In reality, they both ended up helping him slowly get out of his bubble and taught him how to depend on others. The reason for this is that while Myungjun is loud and energetic and in charge of bringing happiness, he had self-proclaimed himself as their smile engine long ago, Jinwoo is grounded and tries his best to provide Dongmin with the best advice his small self can conjure up. This balanced dynamic is one that is usually present amongst all pairs of guardians. One of them ends up being the free-spirited one and the other the level-headed one. Although Myungjun and Jinwoo made his life more busy and troublesome at times, he isn’t able to imagine his life without them.  
  


Or maybe he actually can.  
  


Especially in that exact moment that Myungjun is complaining about having to wake up early. Through the low mirror he set up, he can see how Myungjun is making huge hand gestures and just talking nonsense at this point, while Jinwoo is trying his best to ignore him in order to go back to sleep.   
  


They arrive at the elementary school with 15 minutes to spare and calmly head on over to Dongmin’s classroom—making sure not to bump into anyone. Since they know the school like the back of their hand, Myungjun and Jinwoo no longer have to hold onto Dongmin’s shoulders and are able to follow at their own pace.   
  


This wasn’t always the case for Myungjun though. Since the beginning, Jinwoo had always been very cautious when in large crowds, but Myungjun never thought he needed to be since he always had Jinwoo around. Because of this, Myungjun learned the hard way to hold onto Dongmin whenever they travelled to unknown places.   
  


When Dongmin was 11, he took a train with his family to visit his grandparents for the weekend. Once they were at the train station, Myungjun got distracted by a small child and let go of Dongmin. He followed the child for quite a bit and, as a result, lost sight of Dongmin, Jinwoo, and the rest of their family. Myungjun started crying because he sincerely believed that he would be lost forever or worse—that he would end up getting kidnapped and sold on the black market. But he didn’t get to think of more possible scenarios because eventually he saw Dongmin running around frantically with Jinwoo holding onto his backpack for dear life. From that point on, Myungjun learned to be extra careful wherever they would go, at least until he fully knew where they were at and was sure that he could find his way back to Dongmin.  
  


The elementary school is by no means large in size, as it only holds about 30 classrooms, so there’s no possibility of getting terribly lost. There really isn’t much to the school, with only two basketball and four-square courts and a large field with a small playground. But the school is located away from the big city traffic and the overall atmosphere is nice and calm—perfect for Dongmin.   
  


Even Dongmin’s 2nd grade classroom is relatively small with only 15 students. His classroom is set up into three small groups of five desks each with various math, science, and animal posters adorning the walls. At the back of the classroom, there’s a large world map carpet surrounded by book shelves filled with the students’ favorite books.   
  


Once the three of them arrive at the classroom, they turn on the lights and Dongmin heads over to his very organized desk and turns on his computer while he waits for the school bell to ring. Just like the rest of his classroom, his desk is adorned with a multitude of pencils and colored pens, all with a very distinguishable pattern as a last attempt to not get stolen by his students, as well as his large calendar planner that takes up most of his desk space. On the side of his desk are storage bins with assorted art materials, lesson plans, and daily module worksheets. While Dongmin gets set up at his desk, Myungjun and Jinwoo head over to the cafeteria to retrieve the children’s snack of the day.   
  


As Dongmin is looking through his lesson plan, the teacher next door to him, a sweet older lady who teaches 3rd grade, peeks into his open classroom to greet him.  
  


“Good morning Dongmin,” she greets with her usual cheery voice as she steps inside.  
  


“Oh, good morning Mrs. Shin. How was your weekend?” he asks as he turns his full attention onto her.   
  


“It was lovely,” she replies, “My grandchildren came by to visit. And yours?”  
  


“You know I don’t have grandchildren,” he answers back and adds his signature open-mouthed giggle. After he receives a playful shake of the head, he continues. “Kidding. I just ran some errands and started planning for my students’ field trip.”  
  


“I thought the field trip wasn’t for another month?”  
  


“It is, but you know you can never be too prepared.”  
  


“Our lovely Dongmin,” she shakes her head again with the same affection, “like always, you surprise me with how ahead of everything you are.”   
  


To say that Mrs. Shin has a soft-spot for Dongmin was a huge understatement. When Dongmin had first arrived at the school over three years ago, Mrs. Shin had immediately taken him under her wing. They had first met when Dongmin was still a college student and was trying to complete his hours as an apprentice teacher for Mrs. Shin and was quite new to teaching such young children. Since Dongmin had always prided himself in doing his best in everything he set out to do, he had a considerable amount of mini-breakdowns as he tried to understand why some children just wouldn’t listen to him. Throughout his beginning journey, Mrs. Shin was always by his side reminding him to slow down and stay positive. When he had completed his hours, he had already made up his mind that he wanted to become a permanent teacher at this same elementary school. Since then, he had practically become a son to Mrs. Shin and she now completely adores and looks out for him.   
  


Anyone passing by could tell that she loves teaching more than anyone else and does everything possible to keep the school and children safe and comfortable. So, as children are running by, Mrs. Shin stops their conversation and walks out of the classroom to remind them to walk in the hallways, before going back inside and continuing the conversation with Dongmin.  
  


“I went into the office earlier to print out some worksheets and I saw Dongwoo talking with a sweet, young man around your age. He looked a bit out of place though, so I assumed he was the new dance teacher Dongwoo talked to us about on Friday. His name is Moon Bin and before you ask,” Dongmin wasn’t actually going to ask anything, but he lets her continue, “Yes, I already invited him to eat lunch with us.”  
  


“Oh? Obviously, we can’t have the teachers in the lounge take him from us,” he jokes. They actually don’t have anything against the other teachers. They just prefer being in a classroom during their lunch period, as to have some more privacy. “What kind of people would we be if we allowed him to get bombarded with questions first from anyone other than us?”  
  


Mrs. Shin looks like she’s genuinely enjoying their small light-hearted conversation, but the bell signaling the students to start making their way into their classrooms interrupts them.   
  


“Well, I’ll be sure to make room in my tremendously busy schedule to go and eat lunch with you so that I can greet him.” This was a running joke between them since no matter how busy Dongmin is, he always eat with Mrs. Shin and Ms. Song, another teacher in their small group, each day that none of them are busy supervising the children outside in the courtyard.  
  


“Maybe you can even make room in that schedule of yours to show him around, since I’m sure he’ll be more comfortable with you.”  
  


“Of course.”  


* * *

  
Bin crosses the busy school parking lot followed closely behind by a very tired Minhyuk and a very whining Sanha. Since they had only visited the school once before, both of them stuck close to Bin as to not get lost or trampled on by the parents and their overly-energetic children. They make their way to the main entrance while avoiding bumping into people.   
  


“Why are we awake so early? Being awake this early should be a sin. A crime against humanity! Can you even see my eyes? No! I can’t even see them myself! I can barely keep them open!” Sanha yells as he holds his eyes open, making them wide. It looks ridiculous but it's honestly really cute. Anyone would give in to his wide eyes and pouty mouth surrounded by the most squishy-looking cheeks imaginable. But not Bin. And especially not Minhyuk. Sanha always gets this way anytime that he has to wake up before 10 AM, so Bin and Minhyuk have grown immune to his actions, as cute as they may be.   
  


“But you can’t see your own eyes unless it’s through a mirror.” Some days, though, Minhyuk gets annoyed and has to reply to the ridiculous comments. “You’re being dramatic.”  
  


“Yeah, 8 AM isn’t even that early,” Bin chimes in as they make their way past the entrance and into the school. This morning, Bin seems a bit more energized than usual. It’s to be expected though, since today is his first official day as a teacher.   
  


“Says the person who wouldn’t wake up until I threw water on you.” Minhyuk really doesn’t want to believe that he’s the most responsible one of the three, but it’s hard to do so when he lives with Bin and Sanha and has to deal with their daily antics. But with Sanha’s loud video game playing and pestering at night and Bin being impossible to wake up in the mornings unless drastic measures were taken, Minhyuk is almost certain that he was the only normal sleeper in their home. Well, that’s actually a bit of a lie too. He’s a light-sleeper, so he wakes up extra grumpy some days if he was disturbed at night.   
  


“I’m still mad at you for that. There was still enough time in the morning and I could have slept for a bit longer. So if I get more tired later on, it’s all your fault.” Bin pouts and crosses his arms.   
  


“My fault?” Rocky asks incredulous at Bin’s childish behavior. “I saved us from being late. If it was up to you, we’d still be at home. My efforts are being ignored! And I’m the one that should be tired. Imagine having to deal with you in the mornings. I was trying to wake you up for over half an hour. Half an hour! If this continues, I’m going to actually send in a concern on that show _Hello Counselor,_ so that the whole nation sees what I go through every day!” He finishes his rant and his cheeks have become red while his fluffy black hair has started sticking out of his white baseball cap at the amount of energy he just used up. He's usually always calm and collected, but even he has limits as to what he can handle.  
 

“Rocky… you’re the one being dram—” but Sanha doesn’t get to finish because Minhyuk gives him a glare that makes him shut his mouth unless he wants to go without Minhyuk’s protection the next time a bug makes its way into their room. It had happened before and Sanha is not willing to sleep on a towel in the bathroom sink again like he had last time. He doesn’t even remember what he had done for Minhyuk to betray him like that, but he was forced to lock himself up in the bathroom until Bin woke up the next morning and got rid of the bug for him.   
  


As they arrive at the main office and are waiting for the principal to finish talking with a few parents, Bin looks at his surroundings and remembers how he was put into this position in the first place. Until a few days ago, Bin had been working at a small studio on the outskirts of the city as a dance instructor for young teens. It had only been for about a year, since he had immediately started working there after he graduated from university.  
  


Two weeks ago, Bin was at the dance studio with Minhyuk and Sanha like usual. They had just finished with the last student of the day and were sitting around waiting for the boy’s parent to arrive. Once the boy’s dad arrived, he and Bin engaged in a conversation while the boy gathered his belongings with the help of Minhyuk and Sanha. As they were talking, the dad casually told Bin that the elementary school where his daughter attends was looking for a new dance teacher good with children, since their previous one had to leave for an unexpected family matter.   
  


“If you’re interested, I can put in a good word for you if you would like. The school principal is a friend of mine and he asked me if I knew of anyone I could recommend. Jongwoon always talks about you and how he wants to become a dance instructor like you in the future. I know he can be quite a handful sometimes so take this as a thank you.”  
  


“Really?” Bin’s voice had become higher pitched and his eyes had widened. “I would really appreciate it.” Jongwoon’s dad would always talk to Bin whenever he went and picked up his son, so they had somewhat become friends. In one of their many conversations, Bin had told him that he was considering soon looking for another job. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his current job, but the truth was that there were not that many students going to school near the studio, so the parents of a lot of his students had to travel a considerable distance to bring their children to dance. Therefore, they didn’t have a large group of students and Bin kept feeling like he needed to do more.   
  


“Great. Then, I hope to be seeing you around the school pretty soon. Tell me how it goes.”  
  


“I will! Thank you so much.”  
  


The next morning, Bin had immediately called the school office and asked to talk to the principal. By then, the principal had already been awaiting his call and they proceeded to schedule an interview for the following week.   
  


When Bin went to the elementary school to talk to the principal, he was excited but slightly nervous. Minhyuk and Sanha had stayed at home since Bin couldn’t risk them getting into some sort of trouble during his interview. When he entered the principal’s office, Bin couldn’t help but notice all of the pictures and drawings on the walls. There was an entire wall dedicated to pictures of him and the students throughout the years, along with a few others of the principal with some of the teachers. Seeing all of this calmed down Bin’s nerves and he was able to comfortably introduce himself.   
  


The principal told Bin to just call him Dongwoo instead of Mr. Choi, and proceeded to ask questions. They talked about Bin’s qualifications and experience, as well as the recommendation by Jongwoon’s dad, and everything was looking quite positive for Bin.   
  


Once the most important questions were out of the way, Bin was asked about his passion for dancing. At that point, Dongwoo was able to see Bin’s genuine love for dancing and for kids. Bin left his office feeling very confident and hoping for positive news.   
  


The next morning, Bin received a call offering him the job and he couldn’t help himself from excitedly accepting, which resulted in laughter on the other end of the line. They scheduled for Bin to go back to the school that Friday to see his classroom and turn in paperwork. That night, Bin took Minhyuk and Sanha out for dinner and soon regretted it when they made him spend much more than he actually wanted.   
  


Those next few days were a bit hectic for him, since he had to talk to the parents of his current students and reschedule their lessons so that they could either be taught during the weekend by him or by another instructor during the week. By the time Bin had Jongwoon again, his dad had already heard the news from Dongwoo and congratulated him, telling him to brace himself for the students who might be even worse than his own son.   
  


Bin really hopes that the students won’t be so difficult to teach, though. From what Dongwoo had told him, he would only be assigned to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. The other dance teachers have the rest of the younger students, while the older students have a physical education class outside instead of dance. He had never worked with children so young, but he’s open to trying new things.   
  


So now there they are, waiting at the main office to be guided to their new classroom. They arrived at a decent time before the school bell rang as to make a good impression on their first day. As they wait for Dongwoo to guide them to the classroom, which was more of a small studio with a large mirror entirely covering one of the walls and a few long tables on one side of the room, an older lady approaches him.  
  


“Hello, sweetie. You must be the new dance teacher, right? I’m Mrs. Shin,” she introduced herself with a warm smile. He wonders if it’s his outfit, a red hoodie and a loose pair of jeans, or his gym bag that gives him away. He decides it’s probably his nervous, lost expression.   
  


“Yes ma’am,” he bows and returns the smile. “I’m Moon Bin and this is Minhyuk and Sanha. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Minhyuk and Sanha were too busy staring at the pictures on the walls but turn and bow upon hearing their names.   
  


“I would love to continue talking with you, but I have to get going now. I’m in room 14, so if you would like to come by later during lunch, you’re more than welcome to,” she offers. “I’ve always preferred remaining in my classroom with two other teachers, so you should come by and join us.”   
  


“Thank you, I’ll actually take you up on your offer. You’re the first teacher I’ve met here.” He excitedly nods with wide eyes, grateful for the offer.   
  


“You're so cute!" she coos. "I’ll see all three of you later.” And with that, she leaves the office and heads for her classroom.  
  


Bin has to admit that he _was_ actually a bit worried about introductions and whether or not the other teachers would be welcoming, especially since he’s starting a month into the school year. But he’s now at ease after talking to Mrs. Shin and receiving such a warm welcoming.   
  


When Dongwoo is no longer busy talking with parents, he asks them to follow him to their new room. When Bin came the Friday before, he had been briefly shown around the school. He had brought Minhyuk and Sanha along so that they could start becoming acquainted with their surroundings. Even though he had both of them memorize the path from their room to the office, Bin still prefers to let Dongwoo guide them to the new classroom, just in case his nerves make him forget the location. If he remembers correctly, they will have to go down some stairs, take a right, and walk towards the playground to the furthest room of the building.  
  


The late bell rings as they leave the office and they have to avoid all of the students running to their respective classrooms. Some are avoiding the sun by running through the hallways, while others just take shortcuts across the grassy area outside of the office.  
  


Bin had found out that he was only going to have four classes throughout the day. He wouldn’t have a first period homeroom class, so right now they have plenty of time before his first class of the day. Bin was also informed that he would have a break during his fourth period right before lunch. He has been assigned to the first lunch period—this one is intended for the 1st through 3rd grade students and teachers. To be honest, he has already forgotten some of the other details, such as what days he will be outside supervising, since he’s just full of nerves and excitement.  
  


When they head over to take the stairs, Bin’s attention is caught by laughter coming from one of the classrooms whose door was left open. From where they are at, Bin can see a teacher at his desk greeting the students as he goes through attendance, but can’t exactly make out the teacher’s face. Though he can make out a guardian sneaking up behind the teacher while he’s distracted looking down at his sheet.   
  


Once he can no longer see inside, he moves his attention onto the colorful sign next to the door that says “Welcome to Mr. Lee’s 2nd grade classroom!”   
  


Bin lightly laughs and continues walking with the others as he hears a yelp and another round of laughter followed by a _Why do you always do this to me?_ in a cute, whining voice.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!! You've made it this far :) 
> 
> In case it's confusing: basically the only thing different from this world to ours is that everyone has 2 small guardians attached/assigned to them (they don't have any magical powers or anything). I got this idea after thinking about how cartoons show an angel and a demon on a person's shoulders. I was going to make Myungjun and Sanha the demons, but I felt mean referring to them as that... even though there might be times where it'll be more accurate to call them demons instead of guardians ;) 
> 
> Hopefully I was able to explain everything in this chapter! If you're confused, please leave a comment and I'll try to reply as soon as possible.
> 
> I have the next 2 chapters planned out, so I just have to get around to editing those. **For any of you reading my other story "I Will Go To You" I'm currently stuck and was feeling too sad writing all of that angst, so I took a break to write this fluffy story instead. I'm sorry for the delay but I promise I'll complete it before I go back to college**
> 
> Thank you for reading~


	2. Puppy Kitty Mr. Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dongmin can’t help but chuckle at the ridiculous conversation in front of him. How is he supposed to calm them down without taking sides? _Would saying he just looks like a human anger them?_ He decides to not make the situation worse. 
> 
> “What if he looks like both?” He receives confused stares by not only Hyorin and Youngji, but by Jinyoung as well. “Like, maybe Mr. Moon looks like a puppy _and_ a kitty?”

“Remember to be nice to Mr. Moon.”

 

Dongmin really hopes that his students won’t scare the poor, new teacher away. Although he’s always considered himself lucky for getting such a well-behaved class, he’s not so sure how they’ll act when he’s not there, and especially with a new teacher. Children nowadays are ruthless. 

 

If they do scare him away though, Dongwoo would probably come for his head. He seemed pretty excited about the new teacher when he told Dongmin that he would be taking over Mr. Yoo’s class. _Oh well. If I get fired tomorrow, at least I won’t have to plan this field trip,_ he thinks. 

 

Dongmin’s last two periods had gone by in their normal fashion, including the usual morning silent treatment towards Myungjun, of course. Dongmin likes to think of himself as above average in terms of his intelligence, but he may soon have to reconsider that. He knows that he shouldn’t have expected anything new from Myungjun, but he was fooled once again. Some mornings it would be a simple “ _boo!”_ when he least expected it or a light brush of a hand on his neck, making him squirm away, but this morning it was simply a poke on his side. No matter how small the scare, Dongmin always somehow manages to embarrass himself in front of his students every single day. 

 

But now the students are shuffling their way out of Dongmin’s class to go to their dance one. He’s intending on using this free period to continue planning the dreaded field trip. He had started finding locations over the weekend and has now narrowed down his options to either a trip to an aquarium, art museum, or a pumpkin patch. Jinwoo is floating behind the students, slowly ushering them out as he makes his way towards Dongmin’s desk.

 

As the last student makes his way towards the door, he stops and turns back towards Dongmin. “Excuse me, Mr. Lee,” he waits for Dongmin to look up at him, “Is Mr. Moon nice?” The small boy, Hakyeon, is really shy and has a difficult time opening up to others, but Dongmin eventually managed to get him to open up to him after an entire month. Seeing how he’s asking about the new dance teacher in his soft unsure voice now, Dongmin can’t help the feeling of wanting to protect the boy. 

 

Dongmin calls Hakyeon over to his desk and ruffles his hair softly. “I actually haven’t met him yet, but Mr. Choi and Mrs. Shin really like him.” Hakyeon still looks unsure. “But don’t worry. If Mr. Moon is mean, tell me so that I can put him on time out,” he says while crossing his arms in front of him and hiding his smile, trying to make himself look as intimidating as possible but obviously failing. This makes Hakyeon smile and nod as he jogs out the door to catch up to the other students way ahead of him. 

 

Myungjun who is settling down to take a short nap at the corner of the room where they have a small sofa, perks up. “Who’s Mr. Moon?” he curiously asks as loudly as he can to be heard from across the room. 

 

Dongmin doesn’t bother answering and turns to Jinwoo who has come to help him narrow down the field trip options. Although Dongmin’s embarrassment for the day has died down, he still doesn’t feel like Myungjun deserves to be off of the silent treatment. He hears a _Stop ignoring me!_ as he turns his full focus onto his computer screen.   
  


* * *

Bin’s first class had been excellent. The students were all excited to meet him and asked him all sorts of questions. They asked about his age, favorite color, favorite food—all the usual questions. The weirdest question he had gotten was whether or not he believed in aliens. His answer was that Sanha was probably an alien in disguise because he’s so strange, which received and indignant _Hey!_ causing laughter from everyone, except from Sanha. 

 

Bin now looks at his roster and sees that his third period is going to be Mr. Lee’s 2nd grade class. _Oh, it’s that teacher with the sneaky guardian. I wonder how it went for the little guy,_ he thinks amusedly. Before he’s able to consider all the possible scenarios the poor guardian had gotten himself into, the door opens and students walk in. 

 

He smiles at them and once they’re all inside, he greets them alongside Minhyuk and Sanha.

 

“Good morning, everyone. My name is Mr. Moon and I’ll be your new dance teacher for the rest of the year!” he says as bright and welcoming as possible. This is followed by a chorus of _Good morning_ , _Mr.Moon,_ as well as a few scattered _hi_ ’s and _hello_ ’s. 

 

“This here is Minhyuk,” he points to his right and watches Minhyuk as he does a spin followed by a slight bow. “And the alien on this side is Sanha,” he points to his left and the entire class laughs. Sanha isn’t amused that he’s being laughed at again, so he crosses his arms and pouts. _This feels a lot like earlier in the morning,_ Bin thinks. Sanha’s pouting goes on until the class stops laughing, and then he gives them a large enthusiastic wave that makes him lose his balance. Bin hears a few girls cooing after Sanha’s introduction, and can already tell that the _demon_ is going to use them for leverage somehow. 

 

“Why don’t you all introduce yourselves now?” And with this, the students take their cue to talk. Just like with his previous class, a lot of the period consists of him answering any of the questions they throw at him. 

 

But unlike his previous class, these students ask him to dance. Well, more like chant _Mr. Moon, Mr. Moon!_ until he gives in. It doesn’t take long though, because Bin is honestly relieved that the students are so curious about his dancing. 

 

Although there’s already a radio in the corner of the room, Bin prefers to bring out his own speaker from his backpack and plugs in his phone. While he finds a song he likes, the children make room for Bin in the middle of the room. Bin goes to the center and begins moving with the flow of the music. At some point, he signals for Minhyuk to join him and they begin dancing around each other in the way that they always manage to do.Sanha is perched on one girl’s head and is cheering loudly with the rest of the children.

 

It was honestly a very short and simple choreography, so Bin and Minhyuk are quite surprised with the reaction they receive. For the rest of the period, the students all spread across the classroom. Some are chatting with Minhyuk, others are playing some version of tag with Sanha, and the rest are surrounding Bin.

 

Once the bell rings and the students walk through the door and back to their homeroom, one of the boys, whose name Bin has already forgotten, practically comes bouncing towards him. Bin thinks he’s really short and cute with his small round face, chubby cheeks and big eyes. When he reaches Bin, he excitedly tells him that he really liked his dancing and that he also wants to be a dancer when he’s older.

 

Bin blushes a bit but smiles as he ruffles the boy’s hair and then watches him join the rest of his classmates out the door. 

* * *

The students return to Dongmin’s class laughing and smiling and Dongmin can’t help but feel relieved. The laughter doesn’t seem evil, meaning he can keep his job. This also means that they really like Mr. Moon and that he won’t have to worry about their behavior. 

 

Once they’re all seated, Dongmin informs them that today will be a drawing day—they can draw or paint whatever they want. After the children get their color pencils and paint supplies, Dongmin walks around making sure that no student is ruining the supplies or making too much of a mess. Jinwoo, like always, has assigned himself as the supply retriever so that the children won’t need to keep getting up. Myungjun has joined one of the groups and is busy drawing something Dongmin can’t decipher yet. How he manages to not get tired after carrying a pain brush his size, is still a mystery to Dongmin. The children, however, pay no attention to that and continue drawing with Myungjun, occasionally asking for his opinion on their drawings. On days like these, Myungjun nicknames himself M-Painter. 

 

Dongmin walks around a bit more before pulling up a chair next to Hakyeon. Dongmin really cares and worries about the boy as he reminds him so much of his younger self. Because of this, he knows that he needs to be a bit more attentive towards him. Dongmin looks over and sees that he’s in the middle of drawing a stick-figure person.

 

“Hakyeon, how was Mr. Moon? Do I need to put him on time out?” he asks, sincerely hoping he won’t have to confront the dance teacher. 

 

“No, I really like him. I’m drawing him!” Hakyeon hasn’t turned his attention away from stick-figure Mr. Moon, so Dongmin decides to find out more through the drawing. Now that he knows who the figure is supposed to be, he can make out a stick-figure Mr. Moon on some sort of stage with a variety of colors and shapes surrounding him. 

 

“What is he doing?” he asks, not really sure what all the shapes and colors are supposed to be. 

 

“He’s on a stage dancing and people are throwing gifts at him!”

 

“What kind of gifts?”

 

“Things like flowers and chocolates and toys and money and, and— just like in the movies!” Hakyeon’s excitement is contagious and Dongmin can’t help but laugh. _Wow, I guess I don’t have to worry about anything,_ he thinks, leaning back on the chair and crossing his legs.

 

“He’s so cool! I told him I want to be a dancer just like him when I grow up!” he turns his attention onto Dongmin for about five seconds and when he goes back to his drawing, Dongmin stands up and walks over to another group. 

 

Though he thinks he should have stayed with Hakyeon because when he goes to the middle group of desks, he overhears quite a strange conversation between two of his students. 

 

“—like a kitty though. We should draw a kitty!” Hyorin yells as she points at a blank sheet of paper. 

 

“No! He looks like a puppy!” his other student, Youngji, yells back as she too points at the paper. 

 

“Kitty!”

 

“Puppy!”

 

“Um, what’s going on here?” Dongmin has had enough of this going back and forth and decides to step in before any of the girls become too upset with each other. He still has no idea what they’re talking about.

 

Jinyoung, a boy sitting next to them, answers while the other two girls are too busy having a silent glaring competition. “They’re fighting.” 

 

“No, stop lying. We were just talking about Mr. Moon. I said that he looks like a kitty but Youngji said he looks like a puppy. She’s obviously wrong,” Hyorin looks up at Dongmin as she talks, seeking his support, and then looks at Youngji once she’s done. 

 

“I’m not wrong! Mr. Lee, she forgot her glasses at home. He looks like a puppy but she’s blind and can’t see it,” she looks away from Hyorin and slowly shakes her head as she fakes sadness and says, “I feel bad for her.” 

 

“I don’t even wear glasses!”

 

“Well you should!” 

 

Dongmin can’t help but chuckle at the ridiculous conversation in front of him. How is he supposed to calm them down without taking sides? _Would saying he just looks like a human anger them?_ He decides to not make the situation worse. 

 

“What if he looks like both?” He receives confused stares by not only Hyorin and Youngji, but by Jinyoung as well. “Like, maybe Mr. Moon looks like a puppy _and_ a kitty?” Dongmin makes sure to put extra emphasis on the _and_ so that they know he’s not siding with any of them. They finally seem content with that answer, but start some new disagreement about what color he should be drawn. 

 

Dongmin doesn’t stick around much longer and walks away, laughing incredulously over the strange comment he just made about a grown man he has yet to meet.

* * *

Over with the third group, Myungjun is busy painting stars on his paper. His arms start cramping so he takes a break to talk to the children at the table. Three of the students are too busy drawing, while the other two are in the middle of a conversation. 

 

“So I started watching a drama with my mom last night and the main guy and girl were really really pretty and when they finally saw each other, they immediately fell in love. I said I wanted that but my mom said that it only happens in dramas and movies,” Jihyun’s voice is lowering in volume and she seems a bit sad by the time she finishes talking. 

 

“What? Two pretty people falling in love? I think it can happen for real,” Seungyeon is confused so she turns to Myungjun. “Right, MJ?” Myungjun cocks his head to the side, not having heard Jihyun’s original comment, wondering why they’re asking a question with an obvious answer. 

 

“Of course!” Although she has forgotten to refer to him as M-Painter, he decides to ignore it and continues. “Just look at Mr. Lee. He’s really pretty and I’m going to make sure that he finds someone just as pretty as him. Both on the outside and on the inside.” He winks and in turn receives loud giggles from the two girls.

 

Although the girls find his comment light and funny, Myungjun is actually really serious about it. But he isn’t about to explain his inner turmoil to two 2nd graders who have no idea about what’s going on with their teacher’s love life. After a specific incident a few months ago, Myungjun has made a vow to himself that the next person Dongmin dates will have to be perfect. _Pretty_ just isn’t enough anymore. He needs to be 100% sure that the next guy will be _the one_ and that he won’t cause Dongmin any more heartbreak. It made him cry last time seeing how much pain Dongmin was in, and he is now completely set on doing whatever possible to let Dongmin’s poor heart heal. And what better way than by taking on the role of M-Cupid. _If I let Dongmin get hurt again, I promise I’ll give up on that title forever,_ he had vowed. For some reason unknown to Myungjun, Jinwoo had looked skeptical after hearing that. 

 

“Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!” Jihyun suddenly gets very excited, pulling Myungjun out of his thoughts. He and Seungyeon look at her, interested in what she’s thinking about now. “You said Mr. Lee needs someone pretty, right?” she doesn’t wait for a response before continuing, “Do you know who else is pretty?” A pause. “Mr. Moon!” Her voice has gotten significantly louder so Myungjun has to lightly shush her before Dongmin tells them to quiet down. 

 

She continues. “My dad told me that anyone can fall in love. Even two boys. And they’re both pretty! Does this mean that if Mr. Moon and Mr. Lee look at each other, they’ll immediately fall in love like in that drama?” her eyes sparkle with excitement. Myungjun is so surprised by the sudden turn of events that he doesn’t know what to say, so for once he stays silent and confused. 

 

“Oh my God, yes! If it happened in the drama, it can happen with Mr. Lee and Mr. Moon too. We have to make them meet and fall in love!” Seungyeon is now completely on board with this idea. 

 

“MJ, MJ, can we please plan their wedding? Please?” Jihyun turns to him and gives him the biggest eyes and pout she can make and looks at him expectantly. Myungjun, too stunned at the insinuation, stays quiet. 

 

Before Myungjun even gets to collect his thoughts, Seungyeon chimes in again, “Their wedding has to be huge! It’s going to be perfect and then they’re going to live in a big pretty house and have really really pretty children too!” She turns to Jihyun and they hold onto each other, trying to stop themselves from jumping out of their seats in excitement. 

 

The gears in Myungjun’s head finally start moving again, and he starts laughing hysterically while holding onto his side. “I don’t think that’s how this works, they don’t even know each other,” but it’s too late because the girls are now completely ignoring Myungjun, set on planning the wedding of two teachers who have never met. They don’t even bother with their unfinished drawings. 

 

Myungjun can’t believe this. One single comment about Dongmin being pretty resulted in wedding planning. He’s not sure whether or not Dongmin would appreciate his wedding being planned without his knowledge. _If the wedding is a disaster, he’s going to kill me,_ he thinks before completely stopping himself from going down a dangerous spiral of thought. All of these love comments have accidentally woken up his M-Cupid side. And because his cupid senses are tingling, he’s not sure if he can or even _wants_ to stop himself.

 

Jinwoo has always told Myungjun that Dongmin needs to figure out his love life on his own but that they can assist him if he needs help. This doesn’t include playing matchmaker, according to Jinwoo, but Myungjun can’t help himself. What if this Mr. Moon is _the one_? It surely can’t do any harm if he finds out more about him, right? And either way, Dongmin needs friends. If this Mr. Moon and Dongmin get close to each other, they can at least be friends. _Friends are good_ , he thinks. 

 

So now Myungjun is considering his options. One, he helps Dongmin and Mr. Moon become friends. Two, Mr. Moon ends up not being a nice person and Myungjun gets to chase him away before he hurts Dongmin. Three, they fall in love and get married. _Weddings are good too._ But in order for him to even be able to help them, he needs to use some of his cupid magic. If Myungjun is the one pulling all the strings, then nothing can go wrong and Dongmin can’t get hurt, right? He makes up his mind.

 

“JinJin, I have a brilliant idea.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **ASTRO IS BACK!!!!!**
> 
>  
> 
> **Remember to stream _너잖아 (Always You)_ on YouTube/Genie/Melon/etc. It's such a good song... I was _this_ close to crying ㅠㅠ **
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know if there's anything you want our lovely _M-Cupid_ to do ;) 
> 
> I have a few things in mind but I need some suggestions as to how to make his role even more important :)


	3. SilverMoon (은달)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Remember how Jisoo told us that she heard Mr. Kang call Mr. Lee pretty on Valentine’s Day? I think Mr. Kang liked-liked Mr. Lee!” At this, Myungjun genuinely fears for his lungs because he begins choking on air. The coughing becomes so violent and alarming that Mr. Moon lightly pats him on the back—too much force will send Myungjun flying across the room. 
> 
> Myungjun somehow feels that Jihyun wants him dead because once his lungs are no longer on the brink of collapsing, she feels the need to continue harming his health. “Yeah… Oh! I remember that he also got Mr. Lee roses! For sure, Mr. Kang used to like-like Mr. Lee!”

As they’re watching t.v. before bed that night, Myungjun looks over at Dongmin. He looks so captivated by the drama that it’s actually kind of amusing. He’s hugging his legs and has a thin blanket over him that makes him look like a small cocoon, albeit one covered in those dreaded minions. Jinwoo is perched on his shoulder, hidden by Dongmin’s head so that Myungjun can only see his tiny dangling feet. 

 

On any usual night, Myungjun would probably be laying on Dongmin’s lap or perched on his other free shoulder, but tonight is far from a normal night. Tonight, he is in desperate need of a plan, so he chooses to sit on the other end of the sofa, hoping that some sort of plan will magically appear in front of him. 

 

He watches the drama playing on the screen for a few minutes at a time, in case he can get some inspiration from the storyline but doesn’t think he’ll get much since tonight’s drama is about a robot and a bodyguard. So, unless Dongmin becomes a robot—this poor human gets frightened so easily that there’s a better possibility of him becoming a robot first rather than a bodyguard—there’s no way the drama can help him come up with any ideas. 

 

As he stares off into space, he searches through his romance drama and movie database within his head, but he can’t seem to find any useful storylines. Most of the ones they’ve seen dealt with students instead of the teachers.

 

So now Myungjun is stuck trying to make a full-proof plan before tomorrow’s 3rd period. Now that he’s thinking a bit more clearly, he realizes that Dongmin’s heart is too precious to just play around with. So the plan he chooses to execute needs to be perfect. But how is he supposed to come up with a perfect plan when his previous ones haven’t given the best outcomes? To make matters worse, he can’t even use Dongmin’s phone to look up matchmaking advice because the drama is about to end and he’s going to want his phone back. 

 

He glances up at the t.v. screen again and he sees the two main leads comforting a crying young boy. An idea pops into Myungjun’s head. He knows that Dongmin is a sucker for his students and will do anything for them. So maybe they can convince Dongmin to go along with them to their dance class. Although Dongmin really values his quiet alone time, Myungjun is sure that the children will be able to convince him if they beg him enough times.

 

To make the plan go faster, Myungjun can even get some of the children to talk to Mr. Moon about Dongmin so that they can become quick friends once they talk. And who better than Jihyun and Seungyeon? They already seem to want to set up the two teachers and it only makes sense that they become a vital part of the plan. So Myungjun can tell them what to do, then they can lead the rest of the class and that way they’ll convince Dongmin, all while he stays at a safe distance from the other’s silent treatment. 

 

If they get along well, then that’ll result in the next phase of the plan. _Dongmin and Mr. Moon can start off the process by becoming friends and then I can step in and make sure that something happens between them,_ he can already imagine possible scenarios as he nods to himself and openly stares at Dongmin, somehow catching his attention and receiving a confused expression as a response.  
  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  


After Myungjun had explained his _brilliant_ plan to Jinwoo last night, he had seemed quite hesitant to the idea, which he deemed as meddling. He eventually gave into Myungjun though when he had said that he will continue with the plan, with or without his help. So now that it’s time for the children to go to Mr. Moon’s classroom, an anticipating Myungjun and a reluctant Jinwoo have tagged along, all while claiming that they simply wanted to meet the teacher that all the students seem to love. Luckily for them, Dongmin doesn’t question it. 

 

On their way down the stairs, Myungjun pulls Jihyun and Seungyeon aside to inform them about his plan. They immediately agree but only with the condition that they’ll be the flower girls and can choose the cake for the wedding. At first, they say that they want to have complete control over the wedding but Myungjun talks them out of it, in case Dongmin and Mr. Moon actually do end up getting married. If that’s the case, Myungjun wants to be the one to plan the wedding and assert his name as M-Cupid. 

 

Once they arrive at Mr. Moon’s classroom, Myungjun and Jinwoo let the children go inside first and then introduce themselves to Mr. Moon. “I’m Myungjun, but you can call me MJ, and this is Jinwoo, or JinJin. We’re Mr. Lee’s guardians,” he introduces them as loudly as he possibly can in order to be heard over the chattering in the classroom. “We’ve heard a lot about you.” 

 

“Really?” Mr. Moon nervously laughs and rubs the back of his neck, “I hope they were all nice comments?” When they nod, he visibly relaxes and offers them a sincere smile. “I’m glad that they—oh,” it seems that he forgot all about his guardians until one of them gave him a soft poke on his arm, “these are Minhyuk and Sanha.”

 

After their brief introduction, Sanha leaves with two girls to a back corner of the room after they call him over, Myungjun stays close to Jihyun and Seungyeon, and Jinwoo and Minhyuk stay with Bin at the front of the class. Myungjun can already tell that those two will get along great, since he overhears them talking about dancing techniques. Mr. Moon is also enthusiastically adding in on their conversation, so Myungjun thinks that their plan might go well if Jinwoo is already starting to get close to them. 

 

He searches the room and his attention is caught by the remaining guardian, currently too busy with two students. He notices how Sanha is talking to the girls while they are completely entranced by his cute actions. Something in his gut tells him that he and Sanha can conquer the world if they decide to join forces. With Myungjun’s convincing powers and Sanha’s cuteness, they can make a great team. Before he can dwell on that thought and distract himself further from his goal, he stops himself. The most important matter right now is Dongmin and Mr. Moon, so he needs to focus on executing the first stages of the plan—now officially dubbed _SilverMoon._  

 

After they had all gone to bed last night, Myungjun came up with a code name for the plan, which took longer than he will ever like to admit. He knows that if he keeps referring to it as ‘the plan’ whenever he brings it up to any of the children, Dongmin will eventually get suspicious and catch on. 

 

He wanted a name with a nice ring to it but any combination of ‘Lee Dongmin’ with ‘Moon’ wasn’t really working out. It wasn’t helping either that Myungjun only knew Mr. Moon’s last name, so he was very constricted with his possibilities. In a moment of frustration, he wished that Dongmin had a different name and that’s when it hit him. Dongmin _does_ have another name, albeit a fake one. _Cha Eunwoo,_ the fake name that Dongmin always gives strangers who hit on him. 

 

Jinwoo is the one who had originally given him the idea of using a fake name. Throughout the last school year, Dongmin always enjoyed going to some cozy coffee shop on the weekends. They would all go early in the morning and while Dongmin enjoyed his coffee, Myungjun and Jinwoo would enjoy some warm hot chocolate. It was sort of relaxing being surrounded by the smell of coffee—Dongmin planning future lessons, Jinwoo _slowly_ looking over assignments, and Myungjun silently playing on Dongmin’s phone. The only unpleasant part of their weekend visits was that there would always be that random person trying to _talk_ to Dongmin. It wasn’t that he hated people or making the occasional small talk. It’s just that it would become quite uncomfortable when someone was visibly making advances on him. Most would seem like really nice people, but Dongmin just wasn’t interested. Especially not when a particular _someone_ in his life prohibited him from making even the slightest of eye contact with those hitting on him, unfairly mistaking the action as flirting, later fueling _his_ anger. So Dongmin would use a fake name whenever he made conversation with strangers. He figured that if they knew his real name, they could somehow look him up online and find out about his personal life. If some persistent person, or a creepy stalker, were to find out that he was teaching at the elementary school, there was a possibility that things would not end well for him. Luckily, that never happened and now the fake name was going to be used for something much more enjoyable. 

 

So with all the new combinations for the plan’s name, Myungjun eventually came up with _SilverMoon_. Even Jinwoo seemed to like the name when he heard it this morning. 

 

Myungjun snaps out of his thoughts when only a few minutes of class remain. Only Jihyun and Seungyeon are near Mr. Moon which means that it’s finally time for _SilverMoon_ to be put into action.

 

**_Step 1:_** _Find out more about Mr. Moon_

 

“So, Mr. Moon,” Seungyeon cautiously asks, “Are you married?” Mr. Moon looks at her curiously but ends up just shaking his head. “Do you have a girlfriend then?” she continues with the questions.

 

“Umm, actual—no.” _What was he about to say?_

 

“A boyfriend?” 

 

A pause and then, “Nope.” _What’s with the pause?_

 

Myungjun isn’t satisfied. Mr. Moon’s answers seem a bit off. Apparently Jihyun thinks the same way, because she steps in with another batch of questions. “Do you want a girlfriend?” She stares intently at Mr. Moon to try and see if his expression, like smiling or blushing, reveals anything new but all she gets is another shake of the head. “So a _boyfriend_?” 

 

Mr. Moon, seemingly confused, but slightly curious, by the sudden interest in his love life, throws back a question instead, “Why are you asking me all these questions?”

 

“Jihyun, Seungyeon, you shouldn't be asking Mr. Moon about all these personal things. How would you feel if someone asked you about stuff you didn’t want to reveal?” Myungjun intervenes ‘sternly’, pretending to save Mr. Moon. In actuality, this is all part of their act. Since Myungjun is right there in the middle of the conversation, he can’t let Mr. Moon think that he’s okay with the invasion of his personal life. He can’t blow his cover just yet. “Mr. Lee wouldn’t like it if he found out that you were making Mr. Moon uncomfortable.”

 

“Oh no, it’s really okay. They weren’t making me feel uncomfortable. I was just a bit caught off guard,” he hurriedly explains after both girls look at the floor with sad expressions and say _sorry_ after getting ‘scolded’ by Myungjun. _Everything is going according to plan,_ he determines. 

 

After a purposefully loud cough from Myungjun, Seungyeon is prompted to continue. “But Mr. Moon, what kind of person do you like? You don’t have to answer if you feel uncomfortable though,” she adds a small pout as an extra measure which in turn gets her the result she wants. Mr. Moon replies with another _It’s okay_ , so she takes this as a cue to continue. “Like, pretty? Smart? Nice?” A pause. “Maybe a _teacher_?” _So subtle._

 

“Um, I haven’t really thought about it? I guess all those sound… good?” Mr. Moon seems uncertain with his answer. Myungjun assumes that it might just be because he really doesn’t want to reveal too much yet.

 

“I think you should find yourself someone pretty like yourself!” Jihyun adds and then exchanges a secret glance with Myungjun. Mr. Moon offers them an embarrassed _thank you._ “I _really_ _really_ wonder what other pretty person exists that you can talk to,” she mock wonders, providing an extra emphasis on the _really_ while holding onto her chin to add to the illusion of being in deep thought. _Oh god, the subtleness._ Myungjun has to resist the urge to face palm and cringe himself into oblivion. It’s getting a bit too obvious that she’s planning something and the silence that follows becomes so awkward that Myungjun has to cough loudly again to move onto the next step. _At this rate, I might actually lose a lung,_ he wonders with a bit of panic. 

 

**_Step 2:_ ** _Talk about Dongmin_

 

Apparently Jihyun gets the hint, unfortunately only after Myungjun risks his precious lungs once again, because she immediately takes over the conversation. “You know who else is pretty?” She doesn’t wait for a reply, “Mr. Lee!” She seems so proud of herself for finally bringing him into the conversation. “He’s like the prettiest of the prettiest. Even my mom said so! He’s also really nice and funny! He’s the best teacher at this school! All of us like him and my mom said the other parents like him too and—,” but before she can continue with her long list of who else likes Dongmin and why he’s the best, she gets interrupted. 

 

“All the teachers think so too!” Seungyeon speaks again while enthusiastically nodding her head multiple times. Myungjun can practically see a thought come into her head as she lights up and motions for all of them to get closer, almost as if she’s about to reveal some huge secret. Once the rest of them give in to her motioning and slightly lean in, she whispers, “Remember how Jisoo told us that she heard Mr. Kang call Mr. Lee pretty on Valentine’s Day? I think Mr. Kang liked-liked Mr. Lee!” At this, Myungjun genuinely fears for his lungs because he begins choking on air. The coughing becomes so violent and alarming that Mr. Moon lightly pats him on the back—too much force will send Myungjun flying across the room.   

  
Myungjun somehow feels that Jihyun wants him dead because once his lungs are no longer on the brink of collapsing, she feels the need to continue harming his health. “Yeah… Oh! I remember that he also got Mr. Lee roses! For sure, Mr. Kang used to like-like Mr. Lee!” She starts giggling so much that Seungyeon joins her and they both hold hands and bounce them excitedly. “They would have been so cute together but Mr. Kang—”

 

Myungjun finally snaps out of his shock-induced trance, at least for the sake of his life, and intervenes with a much needed transition. “Anyway! Let’s _please_ stop talking about Mr. Lee unless you two want him to sell me on the black market.” He hears a whispered _What’s a black market?_ but chooses to ignore it and instead brings his attention back to Mr. Moon. It’s his turn to carry out the next step. 

 

**_Step 3:_ ** _Have them meet_

 

“Mr. Moon, have you met Mr. Lee yet?”

 

“Huh?” Mr. Moon, visibly puzzled and worried by everything he has just witnessed, especially by the collapsed lung and black market comment, is finally able to answer honestly, “No, I haven’t actually. I was supposed to meet him yesterday but he had to cover for someone else’s detention during lunch.” 

 

“When do you have your free period?” 

 

The bell signaling the end of third period rings and the students turn their attention onto Mr. Moon. After he tells them that they’re free to leave, he turns back to Myungjun, “Right now actually.” 

 

Seungyeon gasps, attracting the attention of the other three. “You should come with us to meet him then!” She slowly walks backwards and motions for all of them to follow her. Mr. Moon looks at Myungjun as if asking for his opinion and receives an enthusiastic nod as a response. _Perfect!_

“They have art period next so Mr. Lee won’t mind at all.” He turns around immediately, before his expression can give him away. _SilverMoon_ was a success and was going better than expected. And now he’s one step closer to officially becoming M-Cupid. The girls were excellent in completing their part, even if they almost caused him respiratory problems with their comments about Mr. Kang. 

 

Mr. Kang was a demon, and that was putting it nicely. Myungjun _loathes_ Mr. Kang immensely, but his feelings towards the demon were nothing compared with Jinwoo’s. It’s no secret that Jinwoo has always been extra wary of guys near Dongmin and is really protective of him, especially since Dongmin likes to think that he’s strong emotionally. The reality that Myungjun and Jinwoo know though is that he needs to be protected a bit since his heart is too pure and fragile for this world. The demon caused their precious, innocent Dongmin so much pain that it’s lucky it left before Jinwoo was able to murder it by his own means (he wanted to say he would ‘murder him with his own hands’ but that’s a little impossible considering he’s about 1/10th his size). So needless to say, if Jinwoo every sees that _thing_ again, one of them is going to end up chopped up into pieces and sold on the black market. And it sure as hell won’t be Jinwoo. 

 

“Okay then, let’s go!” Mr. Moon enthusiastically agrees while ushering everyone out of his classroom to head over to Dongmin’s classroom.  
  
  


* * *

 

Bin is confused, to say the least.

 

He had not been expecting the children’s sudden interest in his personal love life. He would have been open to giving more specific answers had they not been his own students. Right now, he isn’t entirely sure how much he wants to reveal about himself, but he believes that the amount he shared today was enough. There really isn’t much else to his love life, at least not something the children will be interested in. Though the girls did genuinely seem curious and he’s sure that they’ll probably get excited by the smallest of details he may choose to share in the future. But since it’s only his second day as a teacher, there’s still plenty of time for him to decide what else he’ll reveal. Who knows, maybe he’ll even date someone this year, although deep down he’s not feeling too hopeful about this. 

 

Either way, he’s lucky that he was able to stop himself from revealing his preferences after the girls brought up the idea of a possible partner. Seeing how they asked him about having a boyfriend and how they so easily talked about their own teacher being liked by another male, Bin has a strong feeling that the girls won’t judge him if he ever decides to be honest with them later in the year.

 

That reminds him, _How much do these children know about their own teacher’s love life?_ Bin finds it quite interesting that the girls seem to know certain details about Mr. Lee that Myungjun seemed shocked or uncomfortable with, if the violent coughing fit is anything to go by. After hearing so much praise about the teacher, he himself is now a bit intrigued and wants to know more about this Mr. Lee. 

 

Yesterday, he went to Mrs. Shin’s classroom during his lunch period and ate with her and Ms. Song. They were very welcoming and had gotten along easily. Mrs. Shin reminds him of his mom, always taking care of him and making sure he eats properly. Ms. Song reminds him of his younger sister—albeit an older and calmer version. They told him that it’s usually them two and Mr. Lee together, but he wasn’t able to make it to lunch that day. Mrs. Shin reassured Bin that Mr. Lee is a friendly and lovely person. She also revealed that Mr. Lee would have enjoyed meeting him and that they were practically the same age. This excites Bin because he knows that it’ll be so much easier for him to adapt to his new surroundings if he has a same-age friend to show him around and guide him. 

 

But then Ms. Song’s following comment had confused him. She had said _‘You’ll see him around, you can’t miss him’_ and Bin didn’t know what to feel about that. Does it mean that he’s very outgoing and loud so it’s impossible to not notice him? Or maybe that he’s the only young male teacher at the school? What if he has brightly colored hair that makes him stand out like a sore thumb? Maybe piercings and tattoos? _Do they even allow that at an elementary school?_

 

Whatever it might be, Bin is about to find out. He follows the students back to Mr. Lee’s classroom, Minhyuk too busy talking with Jinwoo and Sanha too busy talking with the same two girls he had been with during the entire class period. When they arrive at the classroom, he sees the brightly colored sign again and remembers how he had heard Mr. Lee yell, in a non-threatening way, that had resulted in the children laughing, just the day before. 

 

As the children make their way inside, Bin remembers the girls’ comments about Mr. Lee being _the prettiest of the prettiest_ and how everyone, even the parents and other teachers, like him. Children can be brutal when it comes to appearances and are known to tell the truth if they don’t like someone, right? So this Mr. Lee must _actually_ be really pretty. Just moments before he’s able to fully see Mr. Lee, Bin wonders if _pretty_ is the most accurate term to describe the teacher. 

 

Once Mr. Lee feels his presence at the door, he turns to fully face him. Bin realizes one thing.

 

_The girls lied._

 

Mr. Lee isn’t _just_ pretty. He isn’t _just_ the prettiest of the prettiest. No. This man is _ethereal._ He has never met anyone like him before. Bin is sure that no other human or animal or living organism can compare to this man’s beauty. _Wow._

 

Bin, too preoccupied by the possible human in front of him, hasn’t noticed how nearly all of the children have settled down in their seats already until Mr. Lee pulls him out of his trance by standing up out of his chair. His features are soft, his smile is graceful and his eyes sparkle, captivating and rendering Bin speechless momentarily. _Lord, help me._  

 

Mr. Lee breaks the silence, “Hello.” _Oh no, even his voice is soft._

 

“Help—hello. Yes, hello.” _Bin, for god-sake, get it together, man!_ Bin extends a hand and once he feels Mr. Lee’s warm hand shaking his, he speaks up again, hoping with his entire being that he doesn’t embarrass himself further. 

 

“I’m the new dance teacher, Mr. Moon. Pleasure to finally meet you.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the really slow update! I was a bit busy and couldn't find the time to write, but this chapter is finally done!!
> 
> Let me know if there's anything in particular you want the matchmakers to do. Doesn't matter how embarrassing it gets for our Dongmin and Bin. ;)
> 
> **In case anyone is confused as to why the plan name is SilverMoon: 은(eun = silver) for Eunwoo and then 달(dal = moon) for Moon


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